Elisha said, “Listen! God’s word! The famine’s over. This time tomorrow food will be plentiful—a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a shekel. The market at the city gate will be buzzing.”

 The attendant on whom the king leaned for support said to the Holy Man, “You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky and food tumbling out?”

“You’ll watch it with your own eyes,” he said, “but you will not eat so much as a mouthful!”

II Kings 7:1-2

One day at work recently it was “Pastries with Parents Day” at the school.  A number of the kids I work with weren’t going to be able to go because their parents could not take them.  In an effort to appease them, I offered to have “Donuts with Diane Day.”  I told them I would bring donuts and they could all have one.  They were appeased, in fact, they were very excited.  One boy, though, was grumbling about it saying that I would probably only get the small white donuts that come in packages and what a rip-off that would be.  I was somewhat offended by this, I mean why would he question my generosity like that?

This made me think of this passage from II Kings.  Elisha was telling the people that not only were food prices going to radically drop but food would now be plentiful.  Their time of lack was coming to an end.  The attendant couldn’t allow himself to believe and he questioned the truth of Elisha’s prophecy. He paid for that doubt by being trampled by the throngs of people coming to get food the king had from plundering the Aramean camp.  He didn’t get so much as a mouthful.

It hurt my feelings that this boy thought so little of what I was prepared to do for him.  I can’t even imagine what it does to God when we doubt His goodness.  Goodness He has proven over and over and over again.   Romans 8:32 says:  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

The man in this story that scoffed the word of the Lord missed out on the blessing God had intended for him.  He also paid for that scoffing with his life.  I doubt that you or I will get trampled at the gate if we scoff at God’s Word, but we will definitely miss out on the blessings He has prepared for us.  Whatever the reason for answers to prayer being delayed it isn’t because God is holding out; it isn’t because God is stingy or unwilling.  Other factors could be at work hindering the blessing.  We need to settle in our hearts once and for all that God is good and His mercy and compassions fail not.

You are a great and merciful God and I praise You.  You are worthy of all honor, all praise, all glory.  You sent Your Word and healed my disease, how can I thank You enough for that? I open my heart, my life, my hands today to receive all the blessings You have prepared for me.  Forgive me for the times I have limited You by my doubts.  I know I can count on Your goodness and Your love for me.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

I would love to hear from you. Please let me know if I can be praying for you as well.